Acceptance
by Settiai
Summary: After she learns of the supernatural side of Los Angeles, Kate realizes that she should have known all along.


Title: Acceptance

Author: Settiai

Disclaimer: "Angel" and other related characters are all properties of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and other related corporations. No infringement is intended. This story, such as it is, was written as a sign of respect and love for the characters, the show, and their creator. I claim no ownership of the aforementioned show and characters.

Rating: PG

Explanation: This is my story for the Choose Your Author Ficathon on LiveJournal, and it was written for sashab.

Summary: After she learns of the supernatural side of Los Angeles, Kate realizes that she should have known all along.

Feedback: Comments and helpful criticisms are always appreciated.

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Kate stared at her reflection in the mirror, her hand unconsciously reaching up to tenderly touch the dark bruise on her shoulder. A quiet sigh escaped her lips as she turned and walked through the bathroom door, settling down on the couch in her living room a few moments later.

"Stupid regulations," she muttered under her breath. "I'd much rather be working than taking time off."

Shaking her head, she reached over her shoulder and grabbed the television remote from a nearby table, flinching slightly as the bruise on her arm protested. As she pressed the "On" button, the T.V. flickered to life. An old black and white movie slowly appeared on the screen, and after a few seconds of incredulous staring Kate let out a dry laugh.

"Okay, I can take a hint," she grumbled under her breath as she pulled herself to her feet.

With a tired sigh, she glanced back at the television's screen once more. Shaking her head in slight annoyance, she clicked it off just as Bela Lugosi's face appeared on the screen.

"It just had to be Dracula, didn't it?" she groused, her eyes moving heavenward for just a few seconds. "What did I do to deserve this?"

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Kate took in a deep breath as she caught sight of the familiar figure walking out of the building, and she silently thanked whoever had been listening when she had asked not to have to go inside to find him.

"I've been looking up some stuff," Kate said in a slightly raised voice, and she couldn't help but smile a bit as Angel's head jerked in her direction. "And now I'm wondering how things like you have managed to stay a secret for this long."

Angel gave her a cautious look, but he still made his way toward her. "We've had thousands of years of practice," he explained warily, as if he weren't sure how she'd react.

"So I've gathered," she replied, her eyes carefully avoiding his face.

Angel nodded uncomfortably as it became obvious that she was avoiding meeting his eyes. "Off duty?" he asked curiously.

"Whether I want to be or not," she answered with a shrug. "I got kidnapped by a serial killer who broke into the station. The brass seems to think that it would be best if I took a temporary vacation."

"I see," he replied after a moment, his words trailing off into an uncomfortable silence.

The silence filled the air between them, and Kate quickly began wondering just why she had left her apartment. It wasn't like she had anything that she really wanted to ask him,

__

You're here because he hurt you, a quiet voice whispered somewhere in the back of her mind. _You had begun to believe in the whole knight in shining armor concept again, but it shattered the moment you found out what he really was._

"What actually happened to your friend?" she suddenly blurted out, her gaze hesitantly moving up to meet Angel's. "Doyle, I mean. I know you said he was killed, but you never mentioned how… and now I'm assuming that was because it involved something less-than-human."

Angel froze for a fraction of a second, and in that time she saw something akin to anguish flash in his eyes. It disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared though, and after a few seconds of silence the vampire quietly spoke.

"They were called the Scourge. Demonic Nazis, for lack of a better term," he said softly, "A lot of people were going to be killed by them, and he sacrificed himself rather than let that happen."

Kate stood there silently for a moment, understanding flooding through her. "So he died a hero," she whispered after some time, "but nobody will ever know."

"Exactly," Angel replied, and for just an instant she could see through the walls he had put up the moment she had said Doyle's name. "But that's a risk of the job."

Kate started to speak again, but before she had a chance, a loud scream suddenly rang out through the almost deserted night. "What the hell was that?" she muttered under her breath before glancing over at Angel.

"That would be Cordelia," he said with a sigh right before he started running in the direction the cry had come from.

Kate stared at the spot where he had been standing for just a second before letting her eyes move toward his quickly moving form. "Of course it would be," she muttered softly before taking off after him.

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Kate came to a stop as she turned a corner, and she quickly drew back into the shadows before anyone saw her. Her eyes moved frantically around her in search of anything that was made of wood, but after just a few seconds it became apparent that there wasn't anything nearby that would fit that bill.

A feeling of helplessness rushed through her as she turned back toward the scene in front of her, but it faded a bit as she caught sight of a familiar form slinking along the edge of the light. _He looks like a animal stalking its prey_, the voice in her head whispered, but Kate couldn't help but disagree as she moved her eyes over what was happening. _Actually, I think that it's more like a mother protecting her young._

Two vampires, one male and one female who both appeared physically to be in their early twenties, stood in the middle of the sidewalk. The male was holding a dark-haired girl who Kate quickly recognized as Cordelia Chase, but the female's attention was focused on the meticulously dressed man standing nearby with a stake in hand.

"I can smell your fear," the female vampire hissed. "You're scared because you know that that we'll kill the girl if you take another step."

"I will show you fear in a handful of dust," Wesley Wyndham-Pryce shot back as he waved his stake threateningly in her direction.

Cordelia rolled her eyes in exasperation before suddenly kneeing the vampire that was holding her in the groin. "For crying out loud, Wesley," she complained loudly as she quickly reached down and grabbed what appeared to be her own discarded stake, "do you have to be such a drama queen?"

She quickly moved over to Wesley's side, her gaze never leaving the vampire who had been holding her a second ago.

"I only left you two children alone for a minute," Angel said almost teasingly as he stepped finally out of the shadows, "and you've already gotten into trouble."

Both of the vampires glanced at him, but before they even a chance to comprehend what was happening, he had let his face transform into its true form. "Now it's my turn," he said with what might have been a grin.

Kate shook her head as she turned and began walking away from the scene in front of her, the barest hint of a smile making its way onto her face. The cries coming from around the corner let her know just how the fight was going, and she couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of relief run through her. _If there have to be monsters in the night, at least you know that there's someone you can trust fighting them_, the voice said reassuringly.

It was going to take some getting used to, but she'd eventually accept it.

She had to.


End file.
